


Real Talk

by hummingrightalong



Category: Fear the Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Friendship, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-11
Updated: 2018-04-11
Packaged: 2019-04-21 15:14:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14287695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hummingrightalong/pseuds/hummingrightalong
Summary: Cooper came to the ranch and quickly became one of Troy's best friends and a valuable member of his militia. Troy stays up all night helping Cooper through an episode of PTSD from his days in the US military.





	Real Talk

**Author's Note:**

> light mention of PTSD. political opinions don't necessarily reflect my own. thought the obvious connection Troy has with his men should be explored

Coop came to the ranch one day out of the blue, a few years before the apocalypse. He was knowledgable. He took orders well.   
Cooper was also the first man in the barracks to offer (even a damning) answer if Troy had a question about what was going on, who might be holding contraband or not getting along; anything and everything like that- he was the perfect man for it. Soon he'd become as close to the leader of the militia as Mike had been from the start.  
He was what you'd call the definition of the gentle giant. Six and a half feet tall, always with a smile on his face or a friendly word if someone needed it.   
He had a deep understanding for the lifestyle, as he'd served in the US military for several years. That was his second major career in his lifetime.   
"What'd you do before that?" Troy asks one night when they're sitting up late in the office. The commander had taken a cot in the office after discovering the barracks could be a loud, filthy, and awkward place (especially for his particular hang-ups and sensibilities back then).  
"I very nearly graduated with a degree in psychology. I actually wanted to counsel people with PTSD- military, abused kids, whoever needed help. You know man?"  
"That's noble. Why didn't you finish?" Troy makes a few notes in his journal. At the time the only other person in the world to get a peak inside was Mike- who helped Troy take notes when his hands were busy straightening out the boys or doing busy work on the ranch. Occasionally Jake was allowed to see a few pages; but Jake hadn't been around much, taking on a second degree program after graduation from law school (very early, his brother was a genius) kept him away more than home.   
"Why didn't you go to college?" Coop asked, daring to touch the notebook, sliding it across the desk towards him.  
"No birth certificate. Daddy wanted me to have the real experience of being a self reliant man, see?" Cooper gives him an odd look, trying not to seem too sympathetic.   
"That could suck, huh? I mean, I'm sure you've thought of all the things you can't do because you don't have an 'official' identity. But I can see the people around here respecting that kind of commitment to your father's message."  
"Is that why you're here?"  
"No. I got bored of college. Went to the military."  
"Got fucking PTSD didn't you, moron?" Troy says with a smirk that says he'd already seen where this was going and that he didn't judge. Obviously, or he wouldn't have sat here til near dawn because Cooper was clearly having a 'bad night' and wanted to talk about it without talking about it.   
"My mother said the same thing. So here I am. I changed my political affiliation to libertarian. I hate the fucking government. They didn't give a shit about how they left the people that came back wrong after defending this country."  
"You ain't wrong...are ya?"  
"I suspect you're sitting up with me during one of my episodes because you wanna make sure the PTSD isn't gonna get you killed in the field?"  
"A bit. But I like you." I want to help is left unsaid. They're men after all. Daddy would expect nothing different. Actually, daddy probably wouldn't have this talk at all. But aside from strategy, Troy understood the value of a person getting right with themselves, working hard physically and knowing where their mind was at. He wished he understood his own better sometimes.  
"Even think of gettin' sappy on me and I'll never do this again."  
"You got it boss." A handshake, followed by a couple more hours shooting the shit cemented a friendship neither had really seen coming, but proved invaluable in a hunt as well as day to day life.


End file.
